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Order of the Silver Hand
The Order of the Silver Hand is an Ordo Minoris of the Adepta Sororitas created by the Cardinal Volkov of the Argent Shroud to protect the convent on the industrial world known as Vakaria, located near the border between Segmentum Tempestus and Ultima Segmentum, near the warp storm known as the Vortex of Despair. Due to the ever-present threat of Chaos invasion, the order was meant to be well-armed and trained, while also unquestionably devout to the Emperor. The order was later forced to evacuate the planet due to the overwhelming Chaos invasion and relocate to their new homeworld on planet Zoyra, which is part of the Europan Planetary Federation, a small and independent, yet still faithful stellar empire. History Early years With the increasing presence of Chaos forces in the area, Cardinal Volkov called for a creation of an Order Militant, that would protect the Vakarian convent. The Ecclesiarch agreed and several years later, the first female recruits, mostly native Vakarians joined the ranks of the new, Adepta Sororitas order. They received superior training and were well supplied with weapons and vehicles, yet the numbers still lacked. From planned eight thousand Sororitas, the total number never got over three thousand. The cause was a lack of interest and poor living conditions of the general population, that rather toiled in the manufactorums for a coin to support their struggling families. Invasion Several decades later, blood-red ships emerged from the warp and launched an assault against Vakaria. The planetary governor was incompetent and did not care about the population, thus the PDF forces were underequipped, undertrained and generally badly organized, so the invasion was more or less unopposed. Some commanders organized ad-hoc groups to defend some crucial installations but with poor discipline and lack of coordination, they were helpless against the hordes of Chaos militiamen. The sisters tried to put up a fight against the hordes of invaders, and effectively, but whenever they encountered a group of Chaos Space Marines, it usually didn't end that well despite their best efforts. The governor himself, being both incompetent and cowardly, left the planet in his own personal shuttle and with the fight being hopeless, both the PDF and sisters retreated into more remote areas, regrouped and started planning. Forlorn hope Several weeks later, the plan was finished and all things prepared. The sisters will launch an all-out mobile assault against the starport, hoping to punch through and get to the shuttles in one, daring move. The remnants of the local PDF were to support them with the few IFVs, tanks, artillery pieces and even aerial assets they still had in operational condition, all while gathering as much civilian population as possible along the way. Meanwhile, the Angel of Astraea, the only Imperial ship on orbit, would get into position and when the last shuttle lands inside her cargo holds, she will depart, never to return. The march itself was a bloody massacre on both sides, as the resistance was stronger than was anticipated. Initially, the advance was fairly quick and unopposed, but the closer they got to the starport, the heavier the resistance was. The last few kilometers away from the final destination was nothing less than a meatgrinder. The Sisters and Guardsmen had to almost literally grind through wave after wave of crazed cultists, corrupted civilians, and groups of traitor Marines, yet after nearly a twelve hours of high-intensity combat at the final approach to the starport, the vanguard force cleared the landing pad and allowed the survivors in, and barricaded the entrance. They gained an unexpected ally, however. Saint Beltaine, the Mother Protector herself manifested in her ghastly, translucent form at the very tip of the charge, mowing the foe with her burning sword in their hundreds. Many say that only thanks to her the attack was successful, as her presence filled the loyalists with courage. Departure In the end, the whole operation was successful, yet very costly, as casualty rate among sisters was at 40% and with the PDF 57%, yet nearly all survivors were, shuttle by shuttle, carried to the relative safety of the ancient starship into orbit. The evacuation was covered by two Hydra flak batteries and even one half-strength fighter squadron. Those people and the ones manning the barricade were the very last to leave the planet. Once the last shuttle landed aboard the only Imperial vessel, the captain set the course to the last known imperial position, Europa Prime, and ordered full speed ahead, leaving the orbit in a haste. During the desperate escape, ship's warp engines were damaged and the Navigator killed by a stray Macrocannon round hitting the bridge, so the captain could make only short, blind jumps through the warp. All in all, it took them sixteen years aboard the cramped ship and one pirate attack before they crossed the Garon's Nebula and docked on the Torus. They were miserable, but alive. New home Upon arrival, they were greeted well, however, something felt wrong. The Ecclesiarchs found out that the Europa had segregated from the Imperium. He threatened and intimidated the Europans and a shootout almost broke out, but then Palatine Veronika recalled her dream, where the saint herself spoke about how foes at the first sight may be the greatest ally. She took over the negotiations, told the Europans about Saint Beltaine and her visions. This helped to seal the terms of their stay and further cooperation. The Emperor's light still shines in this system, after all, and people needed guidance, especially in these dark days. The covent was re-established, mostly in the same way as it was back on Vakaria, only with some limitations over power and autonomy, to ensure it can't become too influential over the government and will remain responsible to the Federal Council, the highest governing body of the Europan Federation. They chose Zoyra as their new homeworld, as it is a place of tranquility and harmony. Role & Culture With the reorganization after their acceptance into the Europan Planetary Federation, their role within the societal structure changed rather significantly, yet their iconography and appearance stayed the same. The very base of their ideology and culture remains the same as is their successor chapter, that is the Order of the Argent Shroud, that values actions more than words. In addition, the words of the Saint Beltaine were added to truly honor her legacy. The order remains mostly as an Ordo Militant, a garrison and peacekeeping force, although one of the conditions upon their acceptance was the Order can be asked to provide a portion of their armed forces, the Adepta Sororitas, for operations conducted by the Central Army Command when requested. This makes them not only a garrison force of the Ecclesiarchal sites but also an elite task force. This isn't ending there however, as certain parts of the order expanded into other fields, such as charity, healthcare, and even law enforcement. It is not uncommon to see a pair of Sororitas in full gear patrolling the street, or ex-Sororitas becoming surgeons, physicians, nurses or charity workers, helping the poor and the ill for nothing but smiles on their faces in return. Sororitas are often employed as elite bodyguards and even as guards in important buildings and offices, as they are deemed as incorruptible and largely unaffected by local politics and petty loyalties. The Sororitas of the Order of the Silver Hand are not only stoic defenders of the faith in the Emperor, but also stoic defenders of his subjects, and the citizens of the Europan Federation alike. The order also took over the responsibilities of the Adeptus Ministorum, as their presence in the Federation is exactly zero. Organization & Doctrine Since chapels and abbeys are scattered all around the federation on various locations, all of the abbeys and most of the chapels hold a garrison. Abbeys usually hold one or more Missions (Platoon equivalent, up to 35 Sororitas) or Commandries (Company equivalent, up to 130 Sororitas), depending on their size. The largest abbeys, chapels, and cathedrals are known to hold whole Preceptories (Regiment equivalent, up to 650 Sororitas) of Adepta Sororitas, while the smallest has either no garrison or partial or full Mission, depending on their importance and size of nearby cities. Sisters of the Silver Hand order follow four basic combat doctrines that are utilized and changed when required. Each Sister knows them well and even when the connection between frontline troops and commanding elements is lost, everybody knows how to act and what to expect. *'Battleline doctrine' is a somewhat generalist set of rules for combat that does not require any other approach, and command elements (usually ranks of Sister Legatine and Sister Palatine) are allowed to act and command at their own discretion, and they are not forced to act in a specific way other than direct order from higher-ranking sister. They are still obliged to follow strategic orders and achieve their assigned objectives. *'Suppression doctrine' is a set of trained procedures and rules mostly for defensive and containment operations. When this doctrine is enacted on a unit, it is basically an order to dig in and hold the line. Such a unit won't charge against the enemy unless it's necessary, but rather make a slow, grinding advance if ordered to attack, relying on the volume of fire, be it from the Retributor Squads, Immolator IFVs or Exorcist MLRSs. *'Breakthrough doctrine' is a set of rules oriented towards assault. When this doctrine is enacted, the command elements call for a fierce, and relentless attack. Sisters then, regardless of their own safety, advance or charge forward with guns blazing towards the enemy, drawing their blades and obliterating the enemy in close combat if necessary. *'Containment doctrine' is low-intensity combat or anti-guerrilla doctrine, and more or less also a peacetime doctrine, that emphasizes on vigilance and decisive action. The main goal is to identify the threat and eliminate it as soon as possible, if possible, otherwise contain the threat but do not engage further unless it's necessary and wait for further instructions or reinforcements. In case of deployment, Sororitas will rarely operate on their own, so they frequently exercise alongside the Guard units to maximize their combat potential. Training alongside the Skitarii Legions from Ostrakan is rare, though. Thanks to close ties between all Europan institutions, the Order is supplied with several unique designs, ranging from locally produced Boltgun, through additional armor kits for Rhino-chassis, to Ostrakan-pattern Exorcist or the power armor they wear. Notable Members *'Saint Beltaine' - Albeit not a fully-fledged member, Beltaine fought with the sisters during the assault on the starport. She was no well-known saint, but a ghost of a saint that often manifested and protected those with pure hearts from mortal danger. Her acts and speech inspired the sisters to the point they made her a patron of their order. *'Canoness Yekaterina' (KIA) - Canoness, she fell on Vakaria during the defense of the starport area by a hand of a Chaos Raptor, several of whom got over fortifications and attacked the read areas. She was one of their victims. *'Canoness Veronika' - Originally a Palatine, but after the reorganization, she became the Canoness of the order. It was to her Saint Beltaine manifested the last time, and shared her words of wisdom. Veronika passed peacefully at the age of 171, revered as the founding sister of the new order. *'Sister Skylar' - Now an old lady doing charity, she was a Retributor squad leader and was the very first of the Sororitas to enter the pirate base. Her squad also pushed through the areas with the fiercest resistance and suffered only two casualties. Relics *'Saint Beltaine's necklace' - It depicts an angel with her feathery wings spread, holding a flower in one hand, and a sword in the other. By the words of the saint herself, the wearer has the power to summon Beltaine may the situation seem hopeless. Wherever it is true is not known, as the necklace is stored in the safest vaults, and is shown to the public only for a day once a solar cycle during St. Beltaine's Day celebrations. *'Celestial gauntlet' - A silver gauntlet made of rare meteoric alloys, engraved with holy symbols and runes. It is said the wearer of this gauntlet will always land a perfect strike against the heretics. This was granted to the order at the time of its original founding. The order's name was influenced by this gift. Deployments *'Defence of Vakaria' (Crushing defeat) - The Sororitas were defending the city, along with local PDF elements, yet due to poor organization of the PDF, low numbers of the Adepta Sororitas and overwhelming numbers of the Archenemy, the battle was lost and Imperial forces have withdrawn from the major population centers. Casualties among the defenders were estimated to reach nearly 74% of all military personnel. *'Evacuation of Vakaria' (Costly victory) - After regrouping, the remaining Imperial forces gathered in one place and launched a desperate all-out assault against the main starport in order to get off the planet. The assault is considered as successful, as the landing zones were seized, suffering only a 32% casualty rate among the remaining forces. This number would be compensated by the number of civilians collected along the way to the starport and evacuated off the planet. Among them were some interesting individuals, too, such as Alexandra's mother. It was also the last time Saint Beltaine manifested in matterium for the very last time. *'Battle of the Pirate's den' (Decisive Victory) - The Sororitas were deployed along with the Guard forces in the final battle for the pirate station. Suppression units were deployed to lead the advance throughout the main corridors, relentlessly marching forwards while mercilessly gunning down everything that posed a threat with concentrated Heavy Bolter fire, while the Guard squads provided fire support and secured the flanks. The casualty rate amongst the Sororitas was a little over 11%. Category:Adepta Sororitas Category:Adepta Sororitas Orders Category:Europan Planetary Federation Category:Imperium Category:Capt.Hawkins